Image Caption:

The line was cleared after one month of repairs (Keystone)

July 3, 2012 - 09:52

Rail service through the Gotthard tunnel has been restored. The rail line had been closed since June 5, when a landslide damaged the track near Gurtnellen in canton Uri, killing one worker and injuring two others.

The first passenger and freight trains entered the tunnel on Monday just after 10pm, thus meeting the July 2 deadline for restoration of service.
 
The Gotthard tunnel serves as the main north-south axis through the Alps, with 120 freight trains and 90 passenger trains normally passing through the tunnel per day.
 
During the month-long repair process, freight trains were rerouted through the Simplon tunnel, while passengers travelling from Zurich south towards Ticino and Italy were required to transfer to buses for the stretch between Flüelen and Göschenen.
 
In spite of the one-hour increase in travel time caused by changing from train to bus, more than 10,000 people travelled the route daily. In addition, around 1,000 school groups were accommodated during the break in service, according to Swiss Federal Railways.
 
The cost of repairing the area disturbed by the landslide was estimated at SFr5-6 million ($5.2-6.2 million), and the overall costs associated with the interruption of service were estimated at between SFr10 and 20 million.

swissinfo.ch and agencies

 

Double tunnel

Government opts for second Gotthard tunnel

The Swiss government’s decision to construct a second road tunnel through the Gotthard – to allow renovation on the existing facility – has triggered a mixed reaction of approval, scepticism and concern.  [...]

National 12 comments

Blocked

Gotthard train line cut off for one month

The Gotthard railway line, the main north-south axis through the Swiss Alps, will be shut down for at least a month after a landslide damaged the track near Gurtnellen in canton Uri. Swiss Federal Railways said the site remains unsafe.  [...]

National

Alpine headache

Shifting freight traffic to rail proves daunting

A goal of cutting down on heavy traffic crossing the Alps by boosting freight travel by rail has been enshrined in the Swiss constitution for nearly 20 years. But with roads still faster than rail, it is starting to look like an illusion.  [...]

National

Gotthard explosion

Blast secures key north-south railway line

Dynamite has been detonated at Gurtnellen, central Switzerland, in order to free up the Gotthard railway line. The important north-south axis has been blocked since June 5 following a rockfall in which a construction worker died.  [...]

National

Links

• Swiss Federal Railways